A couple weeks ago I made a small test batch of shaving soap, then gave a mug of it to a friend of mine at the market so he could tell me what he thought.  I’ll be making another batch of Extreme Creme for extra testing but I think it is ready to put in jars and sell.  I think it is one of the nicest richest cremes I’ve ever come across.

We had a wonderful thunder storm in the night, haven’t heard one of those for over a year in this corner of Texas.  It gave us nearly a half inch of rain, which brings the yearly total to an inch and a half on our homestead.  They are forecasting more for today, so here’s hoping!

Blessings for a beautiful day for everyone!

After trying a couple recipes, I did some experimenting and came up with my own version of “Extreme Creme.”  It’s nice and thick so you can use it on chapped hands, rough feet and elbows . . . fantastic softening power!  I’ll get some pictures taken and get these new items listed just as soon as I can.

Wishes for a good day to all of you!

I’m not sure what to call this cookbook yet.  A few possibilities are:  HELP!  I’M ALLERGIC TO EVERYTHING, WHAT CAN I EAT!?!   Or:  The No-No Cookbook  (No wheat, No soy, No gluten, No flour, No corn, No sugar, No dairy, No eggs and so on) but that sounds a bit too negative for me.  Maybe:  The Yes-Yes Cookbook  (Yes, you can stay alive without eating what everyone else does ie. wheat, corn, soy, dairy, egg, sugar, etc. and Yes, it CAN taste good!)

Well, just wanted to let everyone know I’m working on it . . . might take me a few months to compile, but I have a terrific collection and I just have to share it with you!  If you have better ideas for a name, please let me know!  Thanks, and wishes for good health to all!

1 c. sesame seeds, ground in the blender

1 T. baking powder

3/4 c. arrowroot powder

3 T. sesame seeds

Combine these ingredients well.

Add:  3/4 c. water and 2.5 T. oil

Stir well, using a whisk or electric mixer to break up the lumps.  Cook on an oiled griddle.  Recipe doubles well, and these keep nicely in the freezer.

The name for this soup came from the idea that your body needs good tools to work most efficiently.  If we give ourselves tools to eat, it stands to reason that we will enjoy better health.  This is what I eat for breakfast most days.

Get out a large pot, and pour 1 t. olive oil in it.  You can get it heating on low if you’d like, while you chop up the vegetables.  The amounts of veggies are approximate, you can use more of one thing and less of another, or leave something out altogether if you don’t happen to have it . . . and go ahead and add something else if you wish!

Chop up the following:  1 carrot, 1 celery stalk, 1 onion, 1 turnip, 1 broccoli stump (peel it first)

I’ve also added turnip greens, raw spinach greens, green peppers, and so on.  Use your imagination and have fun!

Place these chopped veggies in the pot and turn the heat up fairly high while you stir frequently.  The idea is to get them toasted but not burned.  If you get some of them nicely brown here and there, then your soup stock will be a delicious brown color.

When your vegetables are well toasted but before the caramelized bits on the bottom of the pot turn black, add water to cover them plus a little more.  Let it come to a boil then turn down to a simmer.  Drop in a bay leaf, add 1 t. salt and a couple grindings of black pepper.  You can add a little bit of seaweed, and if you cut it in tiny pieces, you won’t taste it (this is the only way I can get the stuff down!).  I take a section of flat Nori seaweed, fold it up into a small bundle then take my kitchen shears and snip off tiny pieces over the pot.

At this point you can also add all sorts of wonderful things:  some seeds like raw sunflower, chia or sesame; rice, beans, pearl barley, potato chunks, corn . . . anything you want!  Of course, if the items you are adding are raw, then you will have to adjust the cooking time.  If they are already cooked, then they will simply require heating up.

Let your soup simmer for about a half hour and then it’s ready.  This is enough to last one person a couple of days.